Building on the tradition of Little Bee, Chris Cleave again writes with elegance, humor, and passion about friendship, marriage, parenthood, tragedy, and redemption. Gold is the story of Zoe and Kate, world-class athletes who have been friends and rivals since their first day of Elite training. They've loved, fought, betrayed, forgiven, consoled, gloried, and grown up together. Now on the eve of London 2012, their last Olympics, both women will be tested to their physical and emotional limits.

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Publisher's Summary

Building on the tradition of Little Bee, Chris Cleave again writes with elegance, humor, and passion about friendship, marriage, parenthood, tragedy, and redemption.

Gold is the story of Zoe and Kate, world-class athletes who have been friends and rivals since their first day of Elite training. They've loved, fought, betrayed, forgiven, consoled, gloried, and grown up together. Now, on the eve of London 2012, their last Olympics, both women will be tested to their physical and emotional limits. They must confront each other and their own mortality to decide, when lives are at stake: What would you sacrifice for the people you love, if it meant giving up the thing that was most important to you in the world?

What the Critics Say

"Cleave goes for the gold and brings it home in his thrillingly written and emotionally rewarding novel about the world of professional cycling.... Cleave expertly cycles through the characters' tangled past and present, charting their ever-shifting dynamic as ultra-competitive Zoe and Kate are forced to decide whether winning means more to them than friendship.... Cleave likewise pulls out all the stops getting inside the hearts and minds of his engagingly complex characters. The race scenes have true visceral intensity, leaving the reader feeling breathless.... From start to finish, this is a truly Olympic-level literary achievement." (Publishers Weekly)

I enjoyed this new novel, but it did not end up being one of my favorites. I guess I was hoping for a little more of the sport/Olympic storyline than personal drama, but it is a novel after all! It was written and narrated very well. My ratings reflect how much I enjoy a particular book, and overall, Gold was not a bad way to spend my time and credit--

Kate - I could so connect with her desire to please but wanting to win at the same time.

What about Emilia Fox’s performance did you like?

Emilia Fox did a very credible job of the different voices and settings - I don't recall any passages where I was confused about who was speaking. Her performance also kept me engaged.

Who was the most memorable character of Gold and why?

Zoe - I can't imagine the torment she went through, but it all seemed believeable.

Any additional comments?

I couldn't stay away from the book but I was reluctant to finish it - I didn't want the book to be over. Of course, the timing was perfect for me (Aug'12) but I think this story would be just as engaging at any time.I generally go for the longer books - I'm an Audible addict - but I've had the unfortunate habit recently of getting tired of books before they're done. This was absolutely not the case with this book.

I loved the complexity of the relationships and the revealing of the backstory in small doses.

What did you like best about this story?

It was a blast to read during the olympics and be able to watch the athletes in action in real time.

Which character – as performed by Emilia Fox – was your favorite?

All of the characters were great, but I think I liked Tom, the coach, best.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I'll never forget the scene with Zoe and her brother. Never.

Any additional comments?

I was so addicted to listening that I extended my workouts so I could keep listening! I had horrible withdrawl after the book was over and I'm having a hard time choosing my next listen because I was so immersed in Gold.

The narrator does an excellent job. She acts the various parts and does so convincingly bringing more to the book than if it was just words on the page. But... I wasn't a huge fan of Cleave's first book and I wanted to give him another try since I was in the minority then. I had loved Little Bee until the last 30 pages, so I was hopeful that it was a fluke. Unfortunately, my issues with Gold started much earlier in the book. And while I like Gold better that Little Bee, I still don't buy all of the plot twists that it took to continue to throw these four people together and keep them interacting throughout the book. I don't know that real people confronted with these challenges would have acted in the same way and if they would, the story still didn't ring true. There were too many flying leaps. A Cleave fan will probably overlook these issues, in which case, listen away!

It was interesting to read this novel about 3 Olympic athletes (and their coach) during the 2012 summer Olympics, but it would be good and relevant any time. The overall theme of the book is "what matters most in life, your career ambitions (and money/fame) or the people in your life that you love?

What was one of the most memorable moments of Gold?

To avoid spoilers -- wording it this way: A crucial decision made by the husband of one of the main characters, near the end of the novel, during an important race she was participating in.

What about Emilia Fox’s performance did you like?

The narrator did a good job of making the different characters actually sound different.

If you could take any character from Gold out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Kate

Any additional comments?

The one child in Gold has a fixation with Star Wars. I thought there was too much Star Wars discussion during the times the novel was told from the child's viewpoint.

My wife and I listened on a road trip. I didn't know how much she was enjoying till I offered to finish it and move on to another choice. Then we both agreed it was a good story, well told, and entertaining to the end. My wife and I don't often agree that much.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

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